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YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are full of RV influencers creating content about the lifestyle. However, most of the community has a love-hate relationship with them.
Some people go as far as to say that these tech-loving adventurers are ruining camping for others. But are they causing that much harm?
Today, we’re examining RV influencers and how they’re impacting the camping and travel communities.
Let’s get going!
What Are RV Influencers?
RV influencers are the individuals who document and share their adventures and experiences on social media. You’ll find a good mix of full-time and part-time travelers creating content in all types of RV. From luxury motorhomes to budget vans, you’ll find an influencer in every niche.
Some have created large communities that help support and fund their travels. For some, it’s a full-time job creating content, engaging with their followers, and partnering with brands. Much of the content is to educate and inspire others considering a nomadic lifestyle.
While it may look easy on this end of the lens, they do much more than enjoy epic sunsets and relax in a hammock. For better or worse, RV influencers play an essential role in the camping community.
How Have RV Influencers Ruined Camping?
Like any good debate, there are two sides to the story. Let’s examine why RV influencers have ruined camping for others and see if you agree.
Revealing Secret Spots
A major complaint regarding RV influencers is that they often reveal secret spots. Once the cat is out of the bag for a location, there’s no putting it back into the bag. Word spreads throughout the community of the hidden gem, and before long, it’s nearly impossible to get a spot there.
For example, Nomad View sits just outside Badlands National Park in South Dakota. It was a frequent stop for some visiting the park. However, images began circulating on social media, which caused many travelers to add it to their bucket list. If you visit this spot, don’t expect to be alone. The hillside gets littered with rigs of all shapes and sizes.
Locals often loathe RV influencers for disclosing these locations. The influx of visitors to some of these remote areas can cause problems and issues. They may not have the infrastructure or resources to support more individuals. In addition, not everyone respects the land or those around them. The locals watch as the beautiful land slowly gets destroyed by outsiders.
For example, we shared our favorite spots in Michigan, and the video got a lot of traction. Many Michiganders were thrilled we were sharing their state and had a lot of pride. However, we did have a lot of folks from the Mitten State who expressed frustration that we were sharing some of their favorite locations. It’s a tough situation because we don’t want to upset locals, but we also love sharing awesome places so people can enjoy it just as much as we did.
Commercialization
Camping has been a recreational hobby that families have enjoyed for decades. However, another strike against RV influencers is that some feel they’ve commercialized it. They’ve taken a fun hobby and made it into a massive commercialized experience. What was once an opportunity to escape and live simply for a short time is now the opposite.
Manufacturers look for every opportunity to profit from selling camping gear and equipment. Massive campers are replacing the simple rustic tent experience. Instead of disconnecting from technology, recreational vehicles come with WiFi, high-definition televisions, and smart devices. The camping experience of today is vastly different than it was a decade or two ago.
Overcrowded Campgrounds
RV influencers on social media have reignited the excitement of camping for some people. Not only are campgrounds becoming more overcrowded, they’re also becoming more expensive. It’s the simple concept of supply and demand. The spots quickly become more valuable to campers looking for a place to set up camp. For example, we found an RV park in Alaska that was $75 per night in 2021, but now their rates are sitting at $150 per night!
While manufacturers and dealerships have loved selling campers so quickly and easily, it’s caused issues for owners looking for a spot to camp. Campgrounds that typically only reach capacity on holiday weekends are full almost every weekend throughout the season.
Misrepresentation of Lifestyle
Additionally, many who dislike RV influencers do so because they feel they’re misrepresenting the lifestyle. Some only focus on the positives and rarely discuss or mention the negative aspects of it. This has inspired others to jump into the lifestyle too quickly, causing significant relationship, financial, and other hardships.
While the nomadic lifestyle that RV influencers enjoy may look fantastic on social media, that’s not always the case. There are still things to stress and worry about, and things don’t always go as planned. Despite how it may look in videos and posts, things don’t magically get better when living in a camper.
Authentic Experience Concerns
A final reason some feel RV influencers have ruined camping is because of authenticity concerns. Influencers often receive products and experiences for free or in exchange for a review. However, honesty about a product or experience can be challenging, especially when the brand pays you.
A lack of authenticity in representing the lifestyle can cause you to doubt their credibility. It only takes buying a crummy product they recommend once to get angry enough to detest RV influencers.
How Have RV Influencers Improved Camping?
However, despite the negative side of RV influencers, they’ve done some good, too. Let’s look at how they’ve improved camping for the community.
Education and Information
One of the most significant ways content creators have improved camping is by creating educational and informational content. Owners can use these how-to videos and other resources to maintain and enhance their overall experience.
By being an informed owner, they can take care of their investment and make the most of using it. We learned many tips and tricks when we first hit the road. We don’t know what we would have done without content creators sharing their wisdom with others.
Inspiration
RV influencers also do an incredible job of inspiring others to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Seeing other people getting outdoors and spending time with loved ones can help inspire others to do the same. For some, watching a video or seeing a post about a spot or experience can lead to them making memories of their own.
We live in a world that often cares more about collecting stuff than memories. However, stuff breaks and memories can last a lifetime. A positive aspect of these creators is that they inspire others to be more active and try new things.
Forming Communities
Many people simply are looking for a place to belong. Some RV influencers create large communities of followers who engage with posts and interact with one another. These communities can be incredible support systems for not only the influencers but other followers as well.
Whether it’s YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook, many in these communities feel they’re adventuring with the influencers. They share in the highs and lows of the travel experience from the safety and comfort of their couch. They can also feel a part of a broader community of like-minded people.
Product Testing
When we’re about to make a significant purchase, we often turn to YouTube to look for product reviews. Some influencers have a reputation for their honesty and expertise in specific fields. By listening to these individuals, there’s been a time or two where we’ve avoided experiencing buyer’s remorse. Personally, we made a promise to ourselves and our community that we would never share products that we don’t love and use ourselves.
However, as mentioned earlier, you should be careful who you trust regarding product testing. Some creators care more about appeasing the brands paying them than providing honest and valuable feedback to their audience. Luckily, there are plenty of options for you to find reliable product testing on just about any product or market segment.
While showcasing hidden gems was a negative aspect of RV influencers, it’s also a positive. Whether it was a hiking trail or a boondocking site, we’ve discovered some of our favorites due to RV influencers. We wouldn’t have known they existed if it weren’t for them.
We’ve enjoyed learning from others and sharing our favorite hidden gems. However, the expectation should be that you would take care of the location so that others can appreciate it in the future.
What Do You Think of RV Influencers?
Whether you love or hate them, RV influencers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Social media continues to grow and become a part of our everyday lives. While it may adapt and change, you might as well get used to it. Hopefully, RV influencers can use their powers for good to help encourage others to be respectful and responsible while camping.
How do you feel about RV influencers? Let us know in the comments!
We don’t let anyone influence us. We take them as suggestions and make up our own mind. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. Kind of like vanilla and chocolate. I think some people take everything and influencer says to heart and it’s set in stone and that’s how it’s supposed to be.
Over the 5 years we’ve been on the road, we received some great tips from bloggers/influencers to include you folks. We personally know several of the more popular YouTubers. As they’ve grown, they’ve gotten a little full of themselves for better words. We agree/see that product testing and free campsites influence the influencers. Some of these influencers have huge followings, some to almost a cult level. I made an observation about one of the “bigs” at a recent Lippert Getaway vent, and their follower got really upset, “How dare you…”. When you pay monthly to get inside tips or just to hang out with influencers, that’s a little too much. But, at the end of the day, how you spend your money and time is your business.
I am not sure of the definition of “Influencer.” I watch Rv related video’s that provide me with solid infomation and not the drama. Some you tubers have evolved into fun and sights, which are nice to see, but began with solid guidance and Rv tips and know-how. These I no longer follow as I for one am more interested helpful information. Some gravitate toward what I do not and that is the great side of having variety. Something for everyone. On the topic of “gems” revealed. I completely understand, but I would be selfish if I wanted to keep that to myself, afterall, I probably learned of it because someone shared it with me, for my pleasure. My gripe, those selfish few that have ruined the free overnight places with trash or other unacceptable behaviors. A lot has changed since I began fulltiming in 1979. i recall, never making a reservation, just pulling in and telling them what I needed. It may have been easier, but I have learned to accept the busier world of Rving and do my best to be flexible and enjoy other Rver’s that I meet on a daily basis. Life is very, very short. Embrace what you have before you.